Child Seat: Hamax vs Rhodes

Quoted message said:

I'm hoping that Santa is going to bring me a child seat this year, but
I need to make sure that I put the right one on my Christmas list.

I was going to go for the Rhodes Co-Pilot but my local bike shop
recommended the Hamax Sleepy on the grounds that it's cheaper, just as
good and you don't need a special rack for it (which makes using
panniers & using the seat on other bikes easier).

Has anyone got one of these Hamax seats & are they any good? The only
people I know who've got child seats have got the Rhodes so I was
wondering if the Hamax has any pitfalls?

I've used both brands - although perhaps not the exact models you're
interested in. One of the drawback I had with the Hammax was that
the sides were not deep - so if the kid fell asleep then there wasn't
really anything to lean against.

Quoted message said:

I'm hoping that Santa is going to bring me a child seat this year,

but

Quoted message said:

I need to make sure that I put the right one on my Christmas list.

I was going to go for the Rhodes Co-Pilot but my local bike shop
recommended the Hamax Sleepy on the grounds that it's cheaper, just

as

Quoted message said:

good and you don't need a special rack for it (which makes using
panniers & using the seat on other bikes easier).

Has anyone got one of these Hamax seats & are they any good? The

only

Quoted message said:

people I know who've got child seats have got the Rhodes so I was
wondering if the Hamax has any pitfalls?

Thanks,

Michael

We have used two Rhodes on our bikes and we have carried our two
little'uns all over the place. Most of the time they fall asleep so I
liked the fact that they were held in well. Also, if you fall off the
child is well protected all round. I did come off once with my son in
the seat and he suffered no ill effects whatsoever. I liked the quick
slid-on slide off of the Rhodes too. I have not seen the Hamax but can
recommend the Rhodes.

Quoted message said:

I'm hoping that Santa is going to bring me a child seat this year, but
I need to make sure that I put the right one on my Christmas list.

I was going to go for the Rhodes Co-Pilot but my local bike shop
recommended the Hamax Sleepy on the grounds that it's cheaper, just as
good and you don't need a special rack for it (which makes using
panniers & using the seat on other bikes easier).

Has anyone got one of these Hamax seats & are they any good? The only
people I know who've got child seats have got the Rhodes so I was
wondering if the Hamax has any pitfalls?

I haven't got the sleepy but I do have a normal one. Great seat. Been
using it for over five years now. Kids love it. The only mod (apart from
sticking loads of reflectors on the back) was to change the foot straps
for some short velcro tie down straps when the foot straps broke.

Otherwise, great seat, and I use panniers on the same bike, but not at
the same time.

...d

Quoted message said:

I was going to go for the Rhodes Co-Pilot but my local bike shop
recommended the Hamax Sleepy on the grounds that it's cheaper, just as
good and you don't need a special rack for it (which makes using
panniers & using the seat on other bikes easier).

Has anyone got one of these Hamax seats & are they any good? The only
people I know who've got child seats have got the Rhodes so I was
wondering if the Hamax has any pitfalls?

Thanks,

Michael

I have a Hamax, and people are right about the sleepy thing -- when sonandheir
falls asleep, he leans outboard in a fashion that seems precarious and
uncomfortable. It doesn't seem to "cocoon" him for crashing (in both senses),
but I've never collision-tested it. When he's awake, it's fine, seems comfy,
and is easy to get on and off the bike.

In the Hamax's favour, it does seem to grow well with the child. It still works
for him at 5 years old because of the long adjustable footrests. (He's got a
bike of his own, but he isn't up to city-centre riding just yet.) His
identically-sized friend in a Co-Pilot is doubled-up like a pretzel.

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone know if there's any way (apart
from having a good look at them) of working out which is the safer.
I'm thinking of things like safety standards or ratings.

Michael